Landslide stops work at Exxon Mobil's airport project

The Papua New Guinea government has allocated more than four and a half million US dollars to clear a road damaged by a recent landslide, so that the Exxon Mobil airport project can resume in the Southern Highlands region.

The landslide struck in the vicinity of Exxon Mobil's liquified natural gas project's Nogoli base, burying a village and killing at least 25 people.

The minister for Transport and Works, Francis Awesa, says Exxon Mobil has also contributed money to have the road cleared.

Mr Awesa says it will benefit villagers in the Komo district as well as Exxon Mobil's airport project, which has come to a halt since the landslide.

"In the Komo area work stopped because there's no fuel, you can't get fuel in there because the road is blocked so we're trying to get the road cleared in order to get fuel in there and people, villagers and government officials moving in and out of the area, and then the project personnel and contractors."

Francis Awesa says they hope to get road access in the next few weeks.